


A side of snow; a bigger fire

by HogwartsToAlexandria



Series: Marie's Stony Bingo Fills 2019/2020 [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU - what CACW?, Alternate Universe - Early Retirement, Cap-IronMan Bingo 2019, M/M, Massive fluff, Snowball Fight, Square: "Writing Format: No dialogue", except not really, mentions of PTSD (Steve), mentions of panic attack, mute Tony, mute character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 07:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18361331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: His breaths leave him in gushes of white dust. Tendrils of pale smoke-like air swirl with each of Steve's exhales and same as every winter that has passed since he came out of the ice, the Captain is juggling between suffocating anxiety and utter joy.He would love for it to only be an occasion to feel childlike and merry beyond any sense of responsibility, or trauma. Instead, as for many things in his life, Steve's learned to compromise, to face hard truths and make the best of them. He's trying.Cap-IronMan Bingo Fill Y5: "Writing Format: No dialogues"





	A side of snow; a bigger fire

**Author's Note:**

> First fill for this lovely bingo!! Hope you'll like it :)
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful friend and beta SerenaLunera for looking over this one!

His breaths leave him in gushes of white dust. Tendrils of pale smoke-like air swirl with each of Steve's exhales and same as every winter that has passed since he came out of the ice, the Captain is juggling between suffocating anxiety and utter joy. 

He would love for it to only be an occasion to feel childlike and merry beyond any sense of responsibility, or trauma. Instead, as for many things in his life, Steve's learned to compromise, to face hard truths and make the best of them. He's trying. 

It's a hard balance to find but looking at his husband rolling on the snow-covered lawn is making it easier somehow. Probably because Tony looks ridiculous, and so happy, so so happy. It's breathtaking in the best way Steve’s ever known. 

Tony's goatee is speckled in fresh flakes and his smile is shining with the glee that his eyes can't keep in. He's laughing, bent in two and Steve takes another deep breath before he finally joins him. 

Tony knows, of course he does but it's ok. They're both pretty damaged anyway, they laugh about it, they hug it out or shout it out, sort of - Steve shouts and Tony signs,  _ energetically  _ \- depending. But at the end of the day they're here for each other. 

Coming out in the yard and try to feel like a kid again is a stretch for Steve but Tony was adamant they try it, so here they are. 

The smile on the other man's face is contagious and Steve’s hyperventilating is dialing down the closer he gets to Tony. 

Tony’s hands wind in Steve's belt loops and before he knows it, Steve slides on the soft ice and ends up with his legs on either side of Tony's kneeling frame, his ass colliding with the ground in a flurry of snow. Tony's throaty laugh escapes his lips and Steve can only join in. 

The first time he'd heard Tony's peculiar, hoarse chuckle all those years ago, Steve had stopped in his tracks and just listened and stared. He’d watched as Tony's hands flew through the signs of whatever joke or banter he and Bruce were caught in, the expression on his face so open and free. Looking back on it time and time again as the years went by and their relationship grew, Steve's mind had decided that this might very well have been the moment he fell in love with Tony Stark. This might very well have been  _ why _ he fell in love with the man in the first place. 

He’d felt more alive than ever since the ice, that laugh had done that, that glowing grinning face had done that. And his heart could never let go. 

Today is no different and even though his hands are trembling with the remnants of his unease, Steve ignores it for a while longer. Just enough to pass his fingers through Tony's hair and bring his face closer and closer. Until Tony's white air melds with Steve's own and they're kissing with frost-bitten lips and their eyes sparkle with the gentleness of intimacy.

The next step, Steve knows it, should be a snowball fight. The next  _ normal _ step, would be to detangle his hands from Tony's hair and gather as much snow as he can to form the biggest, most efficient snowball ever and run after the man and fight the fake fight. Except he can't. And it's ok.

It's ok that he can't because he reads it in Tony's warm, chocolate brown eyes fixed on his own. He can almost hear the strength behind Tony's gaze - one more thing that always amazes him, Tony's silent words are infinitely more powerful than all the babble Steve has to deal with every day that he doesn't spend with his husband.

Tony's hands travel up to Steve's cheeks, stroking them, his thumbs caressing Steve's temples, maneuvering him a little so Steve turns his head to the side and Tony kisses his cheekbone, presses his forehead to Steve's temple and kisses again. 

They get up, both of them wriggling to shake off the snow like dogs do water. Tony takes one of Steve's hands in both of his, walking backwards to the front door, his eyebrows dancing together in an effort to make Steve laugh and it kind of works, except not really and it's ok. 

They get inside the house, shed their winter layers and abandon their snow boots by the door. 

Tony revives the fire in the hearth of the sitting-room while Steve takes a seat, takes a moment to calm his breathing down again and another to appreciate the gorgeous man who knows him better than he knows himself. 

Tony comes back from the living-room but a minute later and Steve grins at him. The man is carrying the thickest blanket they own, a woollen plaid thing that's warmer and softer than anything Steve's ever touched before. Tony sits cross-legged next to Steve before he covers them both with the fabric and nuzzles closer. 

Tony discreetly places a hand in Steve's neck - monitoring his pulse and breathing, always. What he finds must reassure him because he lets his hand slip away and straddles the man’s legs, back to their favorite cuddle position, Steve’s arms circling the man’s hips and drawing him even closer. 

The gentle flame he sees in Tony's eyes is all the warmth he needs to go on. He's trying, they both are.

The couch faces the hearth and the flames crack and the wind blows loud and strong outside, and Steve smiles. Winter or not, he's ok. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have challenged myself to participate in Camp Nanowrimo this year so expect more soon as I'll be posting the stories I come up with week by week :)
> 
> Also find me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hogwartstoalexandria)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A side of snow, a bigger fire (remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20480375) by [Bill_Longbow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow)




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